Crews with Xcel Energy on Saturday worked to try to restore natural gas outages that have affected flooded areas up and down the Front Range for several days.

“The gas outages have been proactive on our part,” said Gabriel Romero, an Xcel spokesman. “We’ve had officials in evacuated areas direct us to turn off gas in those areas because there were reports of heavy scents of gas.”

Romero said gas was shut off at multiple locations spanning Weld, Larimer and Boulder counties.

“Now that some flooding is beginning to subside, we’re trying to get into flooded areas and turn gas back on,” he said.

Unlike electricity, which can be powered back on from a central location, gas valves must physically be turned on by technicians, said Romero.

“It’s a slow and meticulous process,” he said.

Xcel is monitoring the weather, and with more rains expected Saturday and Sunday, natural gas outages are likely to remain until drier weather allows crews to get into flooded areas.

Romero said there have been reports of people going door to door in Boulder County and other areas affected by the floods, posing as Xcel employees and asking to relight appliances.

“Please be aware we have yet to begin offering this service,” Romero said.

Reports of cellphone service being interrupted have come from residents of flood areas. Calls to Verizon and AT&T were not immediately returned Saturday.

A native of Colorado, Kurtis Lee was a politics reporter for The Denver Post from February 2011 until July 2014. He graduated cum laude from Temple University in 2009 with a degree in journalism and political science. He previously worked as an online writer in Washington, D.C., for the PBS NewsHour.